1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to image processors such as a copier, a printer, a scanner, a facsimile, etc. and an image processing system comprising the image processor, and to a method of executing jobs.
2. Description of the Related Art
The following description sets forth the inventor's knowledge of related art and problems therein and should not be construed as an admission of knowledge in the prior art.
As image processors as described is conventionally available an image processor capable of so-called user authentication that requests input of user information for identifying a person who uses the processor when using it, and that authorizes use of the processor depending on an identified user. In such a case, for example, the following methods are used for entering user information:                a) An automatic input method of transmitting user information held by a wireless terminal to an image processor when the wireless terminal capable of wirelessly communicating with the image processor comes close to the processor, as disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 11-149233, and Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 10-16355;        b) An input method by inputting of numeric values or characters, etc from an operation panel;        c) An input method by using biological information such as fingerprints, vein, etc. as user information and sensing this biological information with a sensing device; and        d) An input method of reading out user information from a physical key, such as USB (Universal Serial Bus), a card etc., in which the user information is recorded, by connecting it to an image processor.        
In the use environment where more than one user shares a same image processor, authentication of user information entered by such input methods enables prevention of inconvenience that image data of one user can be manipulated by other user, generation of billing information for charging cost to each user by managing on a user-by-user basis types or frequency of functions every user uses, control by an administrator to usage of the processor, etc.
In addition, among such image processors there exists an image processor with enhanced user-friendliness by enabling just one device to accept multiple input methods of user information.
However, the various types of user information input methods described above suffer from drawbacks in safety so as to prevent any illegal authentication, as listed below.                a) A user information input method by automatic transmission from a wireless terminal that approaches an image processor        Since authentication is done only when a wireless terminal comes close to a processor, even any other user having a wireless terminal who does not intend to use the image processor is also authenticated, which allows the possibility that the other user may directly use the processor.        b) A user information input method by inputting of numeric values or characters, etc. from an operation panel        If a password happened to be known to some other person, he/she could be authenticated.        c) A user information input method by sensing biological information such as fingerprints, vein, etc.        Depending on its performance, an authentication system might mistakenly identify some other person as a right person, thus a wrong person might successfully be authenticated.        d) A user information input method by a physical key such as a card or an USB memory, etc., in which user information is recorded.        Depending on a place/method of custody of a physical key, someone else might be able to use the key and authenticated.        
Thus, the user information input methods have drawbacks, respectively, and the possibility that an image processor might be illegally used through unlawful authentication cannot be negated. In an image processor which accepts multiple input methods of user information for authentication, in particular, there was the trouble that if other user information input method with lower safety level is used in addition to a user information input method with higher safety level, the former (the user information input method with lower safety level) would cause an illegal user of an image processor and result damage.
In addition, in the user information input method by automatic transmission from the wireless terminal as described in a) above, there was also inconvenience that the login of a user who made automatic login would be terminated, i.e., the user gets logged out, by leaving the image processor for a short time for some reasons during using the device, thus could not do any continuous work.
The description herein of advantages and disadvantages of various features, embodiments, methods, and apparatus disclosed in other publications is in no way intended to limit the present invention. Indeed, certain features of the invention may be capable of overcoming certain disadvantages, while still retaining some or all of the features, embodiments, methods, and apparatus disclosed therein.